Transcript Highlights:

• Brian Underhill handles Florida Education Finance Program and other K-12 programs.
• We will have five openings each year, just the size of our campus, the mentor pool that we have, because
• So the mentor pool that we can provide and the size of our campus, the number of inclusive classes we
• today for applications we will have five openings each year just the size of our campus the mentor pool
• size of our university, I think we are as big as we can be, just because, like I said, our mentor pool

Summary: The committee held its first meeting of the session and received an overview of the Higher Education Appropriations budget from staff director Tim Elwell. He explained the committee’s broad jurisdiction over universities, state colleges, district workforce programs, vocational rehabilitation, blind services, student financial aid, private colleges, and the Board of Governors, and reviewed key budget concepts such as local funds, funds per FTE, performance funding, and the distinction between the total appropriation and the recurring base budget. He noted that higher education is funded largely through state and local sources, with substantial flexibility compared with other state budgets, and that the base budget is heavily weighted toward lump-sum allocations to the public systems. The committee then heard a presentation from the University of South Florida’s Florida Center for Cybersecurity (Cyber Florida), led by retired Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie and USF representative Mark Walsh. They described Cyber Florida as a statewide cybersecurity platform created by the Legislature in 2014 to support education, research, workforce development, public policy, and community engagement. McKenzie emphasized the growing cyber threat environment, Florida’s leadership role, and several funded initiatives, including K-12 outreach, workforce training, a cyber range for county governments, critical infrastructure assessments, grant development, and public conferences and outreach. Members asked about public cyber awareness, the lack of a national cyber defense strategy, school district participation in Cyber Launch, and which counties are most at risk; McKenzie said smaller counties with limited cybersecurity staffing are generally more vulnerable and offered to provide follow-up information. Finally, the committee heard from the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida, led by Dr. Drew Andrews, along with program and parent representatives from participating institutions. Andrews explained the center’s role in coordinating Florida’s postsecondary comprehensive transition programs for students with intellectual disabilities, supporting program development, distributing grants and scholarships, and monitoring outcomes. He reported that the state now has 33 approved programs at 35 institutions, including universities, state colleges, and technical colleges, and that scholarship and grant funding has grown significantly. He said student retention is about 88 percent, many graduates are employed, and median hourly earnings have increased over time. A representative from Southeastern University described how the center’s support helped build and sustain SEU Link, including a new third-year employment-focused option for students.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are trying to provide a lot of clarity and non-competition in the financing space, and you also see
• that represented in trying to figure out a way and an appropriate path forward for the financing piece
• in... ...path forward for the financing piece in H. 955.
• How we achieve non-competitive financing and universal access, which is should the governance be at the
• For example, the candidate campaign finance forms.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we collaborate with individuals, communities, and partners to create and preserve and finance housing
• Because Geo Bond funding and financing is no longer a viable option, this is a cash ask.
• That is Geo financing, and that's for $3.75 million because of regulatory compliances by the Minnesota
• General obligation Bond financing General obligation Bond financing because<01:15:02.560> it's
• some of these loans with that to finance some of these loans with that growth<01:25:38.119> and

Bills: HF919, HF1192, HF212, HF214

Keywords: wastewater, infrastructure, funding, Litchfield, economic development, environmental compliance, Hastings, water treatment, PFAS, nitrates, bonds, capital investment, public health, HF212, Round Lake-Brewster, Independent School District No. 2907, school construction, school building, sales tax exemption, use tax exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Finance, do you have anything to add? Will? Great. Thank you.
• Good morning, Matt Schuller, Department of Finance.
• Department of Finance, do you have those numbers? Or does someone have this number?
• Yes, Sabrina Adams with the Department of Finance.
• Department of Finance, is that a waste of our money?

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The subcommittee heard updates from the Department of State Hospitals on its proposed 2026-27 budget, including a $3.2 billion total budget, patient-driven operating cost increases, savings in the IST solutions program, and progress in meeting the Stiavedi court-ordered 28-day treatment standard. DSH reported it has met court benchmarks, reduced the IST pending placement list from a pandemic high of 1,953 to about 250, and is now averaging about five days to initiate treatment. Members asked about the effects of Proposition 36 and SB 1323 on referrals, outside hospitalization costs, Medicare coverage, and whether IST solution funds were being overbudgeted; DSH said referrals are slightly down overall, outside medical costs are rising due to inflation and an aging population, and the IST savings reflect slower-than-expected activation of community programs rather than a service gap. The department also outlined proposed funding for electrical infrastructure upgrades at Napa and Patton, a feasibility study under SB 380 for transitional housing for the CONREP SVP program, and a dental services expansion at Metropolitan and Patton. The committee held those DSH items open after discussion. The Commission for Behavioral Health presented its role in overseeing the transition from MHSA to BHSA, including data, evaluation, transparency, grantmaking, and technical assistance. It described the new Innovation Partnership Fund, a statewide innovation grant program funded at up to $20 million annually for five years, with small and large grants, and said it had received strong interest ahead of the May 8 application deadline. Members asked about what qualifies as innovation, whether grants could be renewed, and how the state would ensure the program supports service delivery rather than general outreach or training. The commission also sought a liquidation deadline extension for up to $4.062 million in remaining Alcove Youth Drop-in Center funds so sites can finish implementation and Stanford can complete the final evaluation; that item was also held open. DHCS provided an overview of behavioral health policy changes under CalAIM and BH Connect, including peer support, mobile crisis, contingency management, traditional health care practices for tribal members, the access reform and outcomes incentive program, workforce investments, evidence-based practice expansion, IMD participation, transitional rent, and upcoming youth-focused guidance such as high-fidelity wraparound and activity funds. On BHSA implementation, DHCS said it is not tracking specific local program cuts, but is monitoring county plans and outcomes while noting that counties must still preserve Medi-Cal specialty mental health and DMC-ODS services. The department also discussed its H.R. 1 implementation strategy, including outreach, streamlined renewals, ex parte exemptions, and proposed clinic navigator and outreach funding to reduce Medi-Cal coverage loss, especially for people with behavioral health needs. In response to questions, DHCS said it has not produced a specific H.R. 1 impact estimate for county behavioral health populations, and later explained that counties can still use BHSA and other funding streams for prevention and early intervention while the state tracks impacts through integrated plans and new performance measures. The department also reported on BH-CHIP bond spending, saying it has awarded $5.8 billion for 437 infrastructure projects creating 546 new or expanded facilities and more than 9,553 residential beds, with tribal set-asides exceeding the original allotment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Within the Department of Management Services, there is $66 million for the Florida Facilities Pool to
• I understand finance really well.
• It helps one billionaire who got his water park at 18,000 square feet on a floor plate of a pool this
• and tax chair, and for having me as your finance and tax chair.
• I'd also like to take a brief moment to thank the entire finance and tax staff, everyone that's here

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then moved to the conference report on House Bill 501E, the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026-27. Budget chairs presented the major spending areas, describing a $114.5 billion overall budget that they said was fiscally responsible and below the prior year’s spending. Highlights included pay increases and retirement adjustments for public safety employees, education funding for K-12, higher education, health and human services, criminal justice, transportation, environmental programs, and agriculture/regulatory agencies. Members then questioned chairs on several items. In education, senators discussed K-12 declining enrollment funding, teacher salary set-asides, private school scholarship spending, mental health funding, preeminence funding for universities, the Hamilton Center at UF, and charter school PICO funding. In health and human services, questions focused on the iBudget waiver waitlist, provider rates, ADAP/HIV funding and the return of Biktarvy to the formulary, KidCare, rural health funding, SNAP-related IT and error reduction efforts, and the IDD managed care program. In criminal justice, senators asked about correctional officer pay, prison staffing and infrastructure, air conditioning in prisons, juvenile justice facilities, law enforcement recruitment, and court system funding. Environmental and transportation questions covered Florida Forever, water quality, state parks, water projects, housing, elections funding, and emergency management. Several specific actions and explanations were given during debate: the budget includes $8.8 million for state attorney competitive area differentials but no funding for public defender CAD requests; assistant state attorneys will start at $70,000 and assistant public defenders at $65,000; the battery disposal issue was described as a temporary study/preemption approach; and the Senate said the budget does not fund Medicaid expansion, preeminence funding, or the SunBucks Summer EBT state share. Senators also noted that some proposals discussed in committee did not make it into the final budget. The transcript ends with debate statements from members praising the budget process and Chair Hooper, while also expressing concerns about public schools, health care access, affordability, and the lack of funding for certain priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• We got a Finance Committee report on December 11, 2025.
• In the same vein as fairness, I wanted to go back to your comments made about the Legislative Finance
• I think that we get a lot of requests, especially over in Senate Finance, to fund.
• is obviously get that salary closer to where some of the federal salaries are and attract a broader pool
• First of all, I should have started as I started House Finance with my appreciation on behalf of the

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the industry for 19 years, and when I first started out there wasn't such a thing as a third-party financed
• process with a strategic outlook that will help encourage teachers that are qualified and in their pool
• to be part of this teacher pool in our schools across the state of California.
• Solutions like loan guarantees, state-backed financing, like that from the I-Bank Small Business Finance
• and private finance, really, as we know, in California.

Summary: The committee heard several labor-related bills, with AB 1424, AB 1340, AB 288, and AB 746 all advancing on due-pass motions to Appropriations after testimony and roll calls. AB 1424 would require climate resiliency and extreme-heat protections in CDCR facilities; supporters described dangerous heat conditions for incarcerated workers and staff, while no opposition testified. AB 1340 would allow rideshare drivers to unionize and collectively bargain; drivers, labor groups, and researchers testified that app-based work is low-paid and unstable, while TechNet, Uber, Lyft, and other business groups argued the bill conflicts with Proposition 22 and could raise costs. AB 288 would let PERB step in when federal labor remedies are unavailable; supporters said it is needed because of NLRB dysfunction, while the Chamber of Commerce raised preemption and enforcement concerns. AB 746 would create an inmate cooperative program and a green reentry reserve; supporters framed it as a recidivism-reduction and reentry strategy, and there was no opposition testimony. The committee also heard AB 858, which would extend hotel and hospitality worker recall rights after declared emergencies and extend existing COVID-era protections. Hospitality workers and unions supported the bill as a way to protect jobs after pandemics, wildfires, and other disasters, while hotel, chamber, retail, restaurant, trucking, travel, and attractions groups opposed it, saying the current recall rules were meant to sunset and that the bill would create broad liabilities and hiring complications. The bill was moved to Appropriations but remained on call after the roll. AB 291, creating a credentialed educator apprenticeship program to address teacher shortages and improve diversity, drew support from education groups and stakeholders who said apprenticeships could lower preparation costs and provide better support; it was also moved to Appropriations and placed on call. Later, the committee took up AB 1104, a solar-energy bill intended to clarify that private solar customers are not “awarding bodies” and to ease certain business-to-business solar transactions while preserving prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements for contractors. Supporters said the current interpretation has chilled commercial solar adoption and harmed jobs, while opponents from electrical workers, PG&E, and others warned about expanded “over-the-fence” power sales and the need for clearer limits. Members questioned the lack of a definition of “small,” and the bill was held without a second. The committee also heard AB 338, which seeks $50 million for Los Angeles and Ventura wildfire workforce recovery; the author and county officials described major job loss and business destruction and said the funds would support displaced workers and rebuilding, with the testimony continuing beyond the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• written testimony, you indicated that this bill also might conflict, if not violate, the single risk pool
• And oftentimes, we find that our best applicant pool is from individuals who are current Class A members
• And oftentimes, we find that our best applicant pool is from individuals who are current Class A members
• And oftentimes, we find that our best applicant pool is from individuals who are current Class A members
• BNF had concerns relating to the use of, or the income generated from, projects financed by tax-exempt

Bills: SB2141, SB2593, SB2824, SB2135, SB2115

Keywords: retirement, law enforcement, pension, public safety, employee contributions, Law Enforcement Standards Board, LESB, civil service exemption, collective bargaining exemption, law enforcement certification, police standards, law enforcement training, officer certification, training and curriculum coordinator, lead investigative agent, administrative manager, administrator, Hawaii HRS 76-16, Hawaii HRS 139-3, personnel exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Finance, do you have anything to add? Will? Great. Thank you.
• Good morning, Matt Schuller, Department of Finance.
• Good morning, Matt Schuller, Department of Finance.
• Yes, Sabrina Adams with the Department of Finance.
• Department of Finance, is that a waste of our money?

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations from the Department of State Hospitals (DSH), the Commission for Behavioral Health, and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on budget proposals and implementation updates. DSH outlined its proposed 2026-27 budget, including funding for patient operating expenses, IST solutions savings, conditional release program costs, LPS bed allocation changes, electrical infrastructure projects at Napa and Patton, SB 380 transitional housing feasibility work, and expanded dental services at Metropolitan and Patton. DSH also reported that it has met court-ordered IST treatment benchmarks in the Stiavedi v. Clinton case, with average time to initiate treatment down to about five days and pending placements reduced to roughly 250, while noting that Proposition 36 could increase referrals and SB 1323 may divert some individuals earlier into community-based treatment. Members asked about rising outside hospitalization costs, Medicare enrollment, the timing and structure of capital projects, and whether IST solution funds are being fully used; DSH said the savings reflect slower-than-expected ramp-up of community programs and that the Central California FACT replacement program is still on track for January 2027 activation. The Commission for Behavioral Health described its role under the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), including data, evaluation, grantmaking, technical assistance, and transparency work. It highlighted the new statewide Innovation Partnership Fund, a five-year, $20 million-per-year program with small and large grant categories; the first RFA drew strong interest, with more than 400 questions and over 1,000 bidders’ conference participants. The Commission also discussed a proposed extension to spend down about $4.1 million remaining for the Alcove Youth Drop-in Center grants so sites can finish implementation and Stanford can complete the final evaluation. Members asked about grant duration, whether projects can be renewed, what qualifies as innovation, and whether the fund could support service delivery rather than awareness campaigns or training; the Commission said awards are expected to be three-year contracts and that proposals must be new or meaningfully expanded approaches that support BHSA priority populations. DHCS reviewed major behavioral health changes under CalAIM and BH Connect, including peer support, mobile crisis, contingency management, traditional health care practices for tribal members, updated specialty mental health access criteria, and new substance use treatment standards based on ASAM’s fourth edition. DHCS reported strong contingency management results, with more than 13,000 members served and 95% testing negative for stimulant use during treatment, and said 21 Indian health care providers have been approved to offer traditional health care practices. It also described BH Connect initiatives such as the $1.9 billion access reform and outcomes incentive program, workforce investments, evidence-based practice expansion, IMD participation by four counties, and transitional rent services. On BHSA implementation, DHCS said it is not tracking individual county contract cuts but is monitoring county plans and statewide outcomes, while stakeholders raised concerns about local prevention and service gaps. DHCS also outlined its H.R. 1 implementation strategy, including outreach, streamlined renewals, exemptions for disabled, substance use, and medically frail individuals, and proposed clinic navigator and outreach funding; it said it has not yet produced a focused estimate of H.R. 1 impacts on behavioral health populations. The discussion ended with DHCS noting that B-CHIP bond funding has supported 437 infrastructure projects, creating 546 new or expanded facilities and more than 9,500 residential beds across the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• Deliver so many levels of expertise to help with the finance authority.
• Then Senate Finance Committee. That's Senate Bill 262.
• Then Senate Finance Committee. That's Senate Bill 264. Mr. President.
• You were handed out a **Senate Finance Committee** Priority Bill submission process.
• The Senate Finance Committee will be meeting 15 minutes after the floor session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any fee income will be required to remain in that pool of transportation dollars that was originally
• to remain in that pool of transportation dollars<00:14:58.959> uh<00:14:59.040> that<00
• So, I'm proud to have this provision in here, and I think it's a being paid for and appropriate pool
• a being paid for and appropriate um pool a being paid for and appropriate um pool of<00:24:29.840
• I am proud to present to you House File 2431, the Higher Education Finance and Policy Bill.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• As a former business owner, I didn't view unemployment tax as a Herculean obstacle in finance.
• benefits when they should have been paying them state-financed benefits like New Hampshire was doing
• Massachusetts was paying about 90% of state-financed benefits.
• benefits like New Hampshire was Finance benefits like New Hampshire was doing<02:20:02.359> so
• Massachusetts was financed benefits Massachusetts was paying<02:20:16.760> the<02:20:17.000><

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And could they, let's say, have their own stable token pool within their institution and then, or even
• And could they, let's say, have their own stable token pool within their institution and then, or even
• And could they, let's say, have their own stable token pool within their institution and then, or even
• Tokenization that traditional finance can't match.
• finance can't match. finance can't match.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting began with roll call and approval of the prior meeting minutes, which passed unanimously. Members then introduced the day’s presentations, including one on the Canton network and another on tokenizing real-world assets, with a focus on how blockchain systems can support regulated financial institutions and asset tokenization. Julie, the director of policy and government affairs at Digital Asset, presented on the Canton network, describing it as a privacy-enabled public blockchain designed for regulated finance. She said tokenization should preserve the same legal and economic rights as the underlying asset, and argued that blockchain-based books and records can shorten settlement times, improve 24/7 trading, and reduce friction in capital markets. She identified three main barriers to institutional adoption of public blockchains: lack of privacy, limited throughput/scalability, and lack of control for compliance purposes such as freezing assets, pausing transactions, and meeting AML/sanctions obligations. She explained Canton’s structure as a public, permissionless network with application-level privacy controls, a global synchronizer, and super validators chosen by vote. She also highlighted current ecosystem participants and use cases, including Broadridge, Circle, and the DTCC’s planned tokenization of U.S. Treasuries on the network. Members and online participants asked about the relationship between tokenized assets and the Clarity Act, tokenized deposits, safeguards for faster settlement, and whether the platform could be used for municipal or property records. Julie said Digital Asset was not taking a position on rewards, but supported clearer statutory definitions because tokenized securities should carry the same rights as the underlying assets and investors need to know whether a token is a true tokenized security or a synthetic/reference token. She said the company is agnostic on whether the cash leg is stablecoins or tokenized deposits, though it expects both to develop. In response to concerns about rapid settlement, she pointed to institution-level permissions and SEC disclosure expectations as safeguards. She also said the technology could be used for other records, including potentially property-related records, if those assets can be tokenized.

Transcript Highlights:

• the Risk Management Director of the New Mexico County Insurance Authority, which is a self-insurance pool
• A 33% increase in attorneys' fees is going to put pressure on the pool.
• I don't know how university finances work, and I suspect based on the FIR we're talking about a drop

Transcript Highlights:

• Ironically, it is their favorite subject: risk pools.
• The risk pool is a model in which they can hopefully get it.
• a risk pool that is going to be viable for sustainable, predictable premiums.
• for the groups to come together to pool for the groups to come together to pool their<01:20:17.480
• I know you've been over in Finance, I guess.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• provided through the state financing provided through the state loan<01:06:23.760> programs.
• surface water drainage utility financing surface water drainage utility has<01:07:31.200> been
• We will take up House Bill 5, oil and gas bonding pool investment and earnings. Thank you.
• 5, oil and We will take up House Bill 5, oil and gas<01:56:33.280> bonding<01:56:33.840> pool
• pool investment and earnings.<01:56:36.480> Thank<01:56:36.639> you.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• go through 7 to 8 hours of online training, pass those tests, then you'd go into a nice warm, clear pool
• <00:34:58.760> with<00:34:58.839> a<00:34:59.040> dive nice warm clear pool
• with a dive nice warm clear pool with a dive instructor<00:35:00.320> and<00:35:00.480> spend
• you<00:49:21.720> go<00:49:21.880> to<00:49:22.040> the<00:49:22.200> pool
• <00:49:22.880> then the pool uh once you go to the pool then the pool uh once you go to the

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that is having ripple effects through everyone in public finance and frankly private finance too.
• finance and frankly private finance too. finance and frankly private finance too.
• But, um, we were open to ways of financing certain things.
• <01:19:19.520> certain were open to ways of financing certain were open to ways of financing
• <02:14:59.199> So, management of its finances. So, management of its finances.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We had been working a lot on our budgets and accounting and finance side of the house for the last seven
• agreement, and we're in year two or year three, and you're sitting in front of LFC or the Senate Finance
• of the things I can tell you is we have both talked to the California ISO and the Southwest Power Pool
• West Tech is being run out of the Western Power Pool up in Portland.
• Project management with our clients, and of course finance and accounting, marketing sales, maintenance

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no comparative market rates for them to base their loans and financing off of.
• I want to note that this isn't a much abbreviated presentation that I gave to the Legislative Finance
• Picture the device that turns on and off your swimming pool or your Christmas lights.
• I made a pool table that detects the color of the ball that goes in and highlights the pocket.
• opportunity and the Affordable Connectivity Act. program that helps provide some of that sustainable financing